Terminal connector.



C. W. BECK.

TERMINAL CONNECTOR.

APPLIGATION FILED 00119, 1911.

L l my 9D Patented 001. 27, 1914.

Anon/VHS UNITED STATES iafrrcivtr.` OFFICE.

CHARLES W. BECK, .0F BOCKVILLE CEN .NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB, .BY MESNE ASSIN- MENTS, T9 MICHIGAN HOTDBSPECIALTIES QOH-PANT, 0F DETROIT, MICHQGAN, A

,GQBPOMTIQN AF MICHIGAN TERMINAL CONNECTOR.

1.11am. i

.Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct'. 27, 1914.

Application tiled otober 19, 19121. erial No. 655,451.

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Terminal Connectors, of which the following is a specication This-invention-relates to a simple and convenient means for -connecting a terminal wire to a spark plug of an internal combustion engine, `and its main object is to provide a very simple device -for this pur ose which maybe readily and, therefore,'c eaply constructed and Whichlwillbe eiiicient in operation.

Another object of 'the invention is to so construct the 'device (that the terminal-wire may be readily and quickly detached from the spark plug connecting means, the' separable elements being inclosed within an insulating sleeve which" extends over the insulated part of the lterminal wire for a suitable distance, said insulating-sleeve forming ameans by` which the device may be safely handled and also 'forming an inclosed chamber" within which any spark occasioned by the separation of the two members of the cmtor will yhe protected from surroundingfgasolene fumes.

Tir-the drawings, Figure 1 is a'side elevation of the connector ap lied to the terminal post of a spark plug; ig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view of Vthe connector; Fig. 3 a detail view of the blank from which the terminal post engaging clip is formed; Fig.

` 4 a plan `view of sald -cli after it is bent up from the blank and be ore it is secured tol the main bod of the connector; Fig. 5 a plan view of t e post engaging clip and the attached-terminal socket; and Fig. 6 -a 1on- -itudinal sectional view showing a sli htly l'erent form of spark plug termina gainfg means. e erring-to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates a ortion of a spark plug 'for an internal com ustion engine and 2 the post terminall thereof. It is manifest that the spark fplu and the .postiterminal may be of any suitab e construction. On the endoi the terminal wire 3 is secured a socket plug 4 by means of a screw-5. This socket plug is preferably hollow and the screw 5-passes through one closed end thereof into lthe'termmalwire, sald screw forming an eiiclent closed end of said socket.

` ff which ymay be quickly attached and detached electrical connection between the wire and the plug. This plug is formed with an ex. ternal annular groove 6 at a suitable distance from the radial end flange 7 of said plug. This plug is adapted to t snugly within a spllt socket 8, said socket being formed with an inwardly extending projection 9 adapted to fit in the groove 6 of the plug 4 when the said socket and plug are brought into engagement with each other. These two Vmembers-may, therefore, be separated by suitable force supplied to the terminal wire.

The socket near its 'outer end is formed With a radial flange 10 and adjacent said fiange it is externally screw-threaded as at 11. Engaging said screw-threads and abutting against the flange 10 is a long sleeve 12 of insulating material, said sleeve normally inclosing the socket and plug and a considerable portion of the attached terminal wire. This sleeve interiorly of substantially the same diameter as the insulation on the terminal wire so Athat it Mits snugly over said insulation, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and surrounds and protects the socket and plug members. It is, therefore, manifest that this insulating sleeve provides a safe means by which the terminal connector may be'manipulated and'also completely incloses the separable vmembers of the connector so that should a spark occur when said two members are detached or separated while the connector is attached to a spark plug, said spark wll'be lwithin an inclosed chamber and thoroughly protectedV and shielded from any `gasolene fumes which Imay be around the spark plug.

To connect the. socket member with the post terminal of a spark plug I provide a post terminal receiving means secured to the This device is preferably a yielding gripping means 13 from-said. terminal post. I preferably form 'this gripping means from a sheet metal blank, shown clearly in F ig. 3. This blank consists of Vthe main body portion 14, said body portion being provided near its ends with thelateral extensions 15 and With the endV parts 16( The end partst'l are each pressed `to 'formasemi-eylindrical post termina'l- '.pping member 17.' The mainvbody.

part o the blank is bent midway its ends to bringthetwo parts of said blank together,

as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The lateral eX- tensions 15 are then bent perpendicular to the main body of the blank to form the bracing lugs 18, as is also shown clearly in Fig. 4. The closed Aend of the socket 8 is' slotted and the doubled-over portion of the main body of the blank is passed inwardly through said slot and the edges 19 of the lugs 18 are brought to bear squarely against the outer closed end of the socket, as shown clearlyl in Figs. 2 and 5. The folded body of lthe blank within the socket is then bent over and forced against the inner side of the closed end of the socket, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, thereby forming a head 20, in the' nature of a rivet head Within the socket and securely and rigidly locking the post terminal receiving means to the socket piece. lt is manifest that a receiving means constructed as described will have suilicient resiliency in the clamping or gripping jaws 19 to inf sure a substantial frictional contact or grip between the said jaws and the post terminal; and the reinforcing or supporting lugs 18 will serve to strengthen sa1d gripping means and prevent the jaws being bent laterally and broken.

,It is manifest that when a terminal connector constructed as herein .described vis attached to thel post terminal of a spark plug it may be readily detached therefrom by disconnecting the gripping means from the tel.- .minal, or if desired the terminal wire may 4 be quickly disconnected from the socket by drawing the plug outwardly from the socket, leaving the socket and the gripping -means connected to the spark plug terminal.

,In Fig. 6 I have shown a hook connecting device 21 in place 'of the resilient gripping 40 jaws illustrated in the other views.

, `Having thus f ully describedmy invention,

' what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letterslatent, is:

1. A terminal connector comprising a tubular .socket closed at its outer end and open at its inner end, a plugad'apted to snap into the open inner end vof. said socket, means for connecting said plug to. a` terminal wire, an insulating and protecting sleeve carried by the socket and inclosing the same and extending over the connected plug and the adjoining portion of the terminal wire,

` and a spark` plug post terminal receiving means connected to the closed end of the socket and adapted to be locked to the post terminal with the axis'of the sleeve at right angles to the axis of the post, whereby the' socket will be held against a longitudinall strain tending to disconnect the its terminal wire from the socket.

2. A terminal connector comprising a tubular terminal member adapted to be connected to a terminal wire and: a l'sheet metal to receive plug" and post terminal clip rigidly secured to said terminal member andbent to form two opposed gri pingj aWs adapted to receive a post terminal iietween them and forming a longitudinally split resilient sleeve, said terminal clip being rigidly secured to the terminal member on the inner side thereof.

3. A terminal connector comprising a tubular terminal member having a closed outer end, means for detachably and electrically connecting a terminal wire thereto, a terminal clip of sheet metal bent to form two integral opposed gripping jaws adapted the connected ends of said jaws being passed through the closed end of the terminal member and expanded within the said member ftocrigidly secure said jaws to said member.

4. A terminal connector comprising a terminal member, means for detachably and electrically securing a terminal wire thereto a terminal clip formed of a single piece of the post terminal between them,

sheet metal bent to form tWo opposed gripping aws, the inner ends of said jaws being passed through the closed end of the terminal member and expanded therein to rigidly connect the gripping jaws to said member, and integral reinforcing lugs carried by the gripping jaws 5. A terminal `connector comprising aV terminalmember, means for securing a terminal wire thereto, a terminal clip formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent to form two opposed gripping jaws, the inner ends of said jaws being passed through lthe closed end of the'terminal memberfand expanded thereinto rigidly connect the gripping jaws to said member, and integral reinforcing lugs carried by the gripping jaws, said reinforcing lugs bearing against the terminal member and servingas braces for the gripping jaws. i j

6. A terminal connector comprising a terminal member, means for securing a terminal wire thereto, a terminal clip formed two opposed gripping jaws, the inner ends of said jaws being passed through one end y of the terminal member and expanded therein to .rigidly connect the terminal clip to said member, and a .pair of integral reinforcing lugs carried byv each-jaw of the terminal member, said lugs extending outwardly and bearing at their inner ends on the end of the terminal member and serving as braces for the gripping jaws.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature lin the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES w. BECK.v Witnesses:l I i VILLIAN M. SWAN, Bassin MACDONALD. c 

